BHP, Fortescue Iron Ore Port to Reopen as Storm Passes

Tuesday, 22 Jan 2013 | 7:36 PM ETReuters

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Australia's Port Hedland, which handles about a fifth of the world's seaborne-traded iron ore, will reopen on Wednesday after being spared the brunt of a cyclone that has also shut other major ports in Western Australia.

Category 1 Cyclone Peta -- the weakest on a scale of one-to-five -- forced Port Hedland, Cape Lambert and Dampier ports to shut down on Tuesday, halting almost half of the world's iron ore trade.

The storm is forecast to make landfall by 1300 GMT and weaken, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.